Sawyer County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Sawyer County, Wisconsin has a population of 18,476 across 1,257 square miles, up 4.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $966.5 m in 2024, 627 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 43 7(a) approvals worth $29.4 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Sawyer County
How many people live in Sawyer County
- Population18,476
- Households8,810
- Average household size2.10
- Median household income$60,801
- Median age52.8
- Median gross rent$712 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$236,200
- Home value to household income3.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over14,286
- Population under 183,207
- Share under 1817.4 percent
- Population 65 and over5,271
- Share 65 and over28.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,998
- Civilian labor force8,276
- Unemployment rate6.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over54.2 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties56th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1963rd
Sawyer County is the 56th largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 3.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 28.5 percent against 17.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Sawyer County
Is Sawyer County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.20 percent
- Census 2020 base population18,075
- Births, 2024142
- Deaths, 2024259
- Natural change, 2024-117
- Net domestic migration, 2024323
- Net international migration, 202411
- Total net migration, 2024334
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,113
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents654th
The county has grown 4.20 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Sawyer County
Where people moving to Sawyer County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving593
- People arriving, from those returns1,003
- Adjusted gross income arriving$60.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$102,352
- Largest single originSawyer County Non-migrants (7,101 households)
- Largest single destination (7,101 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sawyer County Non-migrants | 7,101 | 13,480 | $507.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 239 | 423 | $29.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 225 | 370 | $21.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 140 | 245 | $18.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 56 | 100 | $5.4 m |
| Washburn County | 53 | 95 | $2.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 43 | 78 | $5.3 m |
| Hennepin County | 26 | 37 | $3.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Sawyer County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Sawyer County
What the Sawyer County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$966.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$920.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.0 percent
- GDP change over five years31.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties54th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1871st
- GDP per resident$52,311
Output grew 5.0 percent in the latest year and 31.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Sawyer County
Who employs people in Sawyer County
- Covered employment, annual average7,250
- Establishments reporting701
- Average annual pay$48,406
- Average weekly wage$931
- Sector 44-45, employment1,177
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,763
- Sector 72, employment885
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,119
- Sector 31-33, employment658
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$71,162
- Sector 23, employment351
- Sector 23, average annual pay$50,284
- Sector 54, employment173
- Sector 52, employment164
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,177 | 83 | $33,763 |
| Sector 72 | 885 | 104 | $24,119 |
| Sector 31-33 | 658 | 34 | $71,162 |
| Sector 23 | 351 | 84 | $50,284 |
| Sector 54 | 173 | 50 | $54,289 |
| Sector 52 | 164 | 30 | $74,799 |
| Sector 71 | 132 | 18 | $30,649 |
| Sector 81 | 118 | 28 | $40,789 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,177 jobs, 16.2 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Sawyer County
What businesses operate in Sawyer County
- Establishments, all industries627
- Employment at those establishments5,363
- Annual payroll$263.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents33.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Sawyer County
What is being built in Sawyer County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024220
- Declared construction value permitted$59.7 m
- Single family units authorised200
- Multifamily units authorised20
- Multifamily share of units9.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$271,313
- Units authorised per 1,000 households25.0
Multifamily is 9.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Sawyer County
How much SBA lending happens in Sawyer County
- 7(a) approvals recorded43
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$29.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$684,249
- Median 7(a) approval$400,000
- 10th percentile approval$120,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,523,000
- Largest single approval$4,340,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)572
- Jobs per approval13.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active18
- Distinct industries receiving approvals28
- Median 7(a) term180 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer41.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms18
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter18
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countRecreational Vehicle Dealers (5)
- Most active lenderFrandsen Bank and Trust (15)
- 504 approvals recorded15
- 504 gross approval dollars$6.2 m
- Average 504 approval$411,133
- Median 504 approval$350,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.2
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (15)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals74.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$35.6 m
The average approval of $684,249 sits well above the median of $400,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 41.9 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sawyer County
Do SBA loans in Sawyer County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded12
- Paid in full12
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full12
- Status: Exempt from disclosure24
- Status: Cancelled6
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sawyer County
Which parts of Sawyer County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- Hayward, approvals35
- OJIBWA, approvals3
- WINTER, approvals3
- Stone Lake, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Hayward | 35 | $26,717,900 |
| OJIBWA | 3 | $875,600 |
| WINTER | 3 | $1,014,000 |
| Stone Lake | 2 | $815,200 |
Hayward accounts for 35 approvals against 3 in OJIBWA. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sawyer County
How big is Sawyer County
- Land area1,257 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties5th of 72
- Width, east to west42 mi
- Height, north to south35.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land15
- Establishments per square mile0.50
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Sawyer County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Sawyer County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population18,476
- Households8,810
- Average household size2.10
- Median household income$60,801
- Median age52.8
Common questions
Sawyer County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sawyer County, Wisconsin?
18,476, in 8,810 households, ranking 56th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sawyer County growing?
The population has grown 4.20 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 142 births against 259 deaths, with net migration of 334. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sawyer County?
$60,801. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $236,200, which is 3.9 times income, and median gross rent is $712 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Sawyer County?
627 establishments, employing 5,363 people with an annual payroll of $263.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Sawyer County?
Average annual pay is $48,406, or $931 a week, across 7,250 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sawyer County?
43 7(a) approvals totalling $29.4 m since FY2020, across 18 lenders, with a median approval of $400,000, plus 15 504 approvals worth $6.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Sawyer County get paid back?
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 12 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Sawyer County?
220 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $59.7 m. Multifamily was 9.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Sawyer County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Sawyer County come from?
The largest single origin is Sawyer County Non-migrants, with 7,101 households. Arriving households report an average income of $102,352 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Sawyer County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Sawyer County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.